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Bishop Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak Elected New Patriarch of the Coptic Catholic Church
1 posted on 01/18/2013 2:40:07 PM PST by NYer
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To: netmilsmom; thefrankbaum; Tax-chick; GregB; saradippity; Berlin_Freeper; Litany; SumProVita; ...

Pope Benedict XVI poses with U.S. leaders of Eastern Catholic churches May 18 during their “ad limina” visits to the Vatican. From are: Father Edward G. Cimbala, administrator of the Byzantine Catholic Eparchy of Passaic; Ukrainian Auxiliary Bishop John Bura of Philadelphia; Byzantime Catholic Bishop Gerald N. Dino of Phoenix; Chaldean Bishop Ibrahim N. Ibrahim of St. Thomas the Apostle, based in Southfield, Mich.; Maronite Bishop Gregory J. Mansour of Brooklyn, N.Y.; Armenian Bishop Mikael Mouradian of New York; Melkite Catholic Bishop Nicholas J. Samra of Newton, Mass.; Ukrainian Catholic Archbishop Stefan Soroka of Philadelphia; Pope Benedict; Byzantine Catholic Archbishop William C. Skurla of Pittsburgh; Syriac Bishoip Yousif Habash of Newark, N.J.; Romanian Bishop John M. Botean of Canton, Ohio; Ukrainian Catholic Bishop Paul P. Chomnycky of Stamford, Conn.; Ukrainian Catholic Bishop Richard S. Seminack of Chicago; Byzantine Bishop John M. Kudrick of Parma, Ohio; and Chaldean Bishop Sarhad Y. Jammo of the Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle, based in El Cajon, Calif. (photo copyright: Servizio Fotografico de "L'O.R.", 00120 Citta Del Vaticano.)


Although it is not widely known in our Western world, the Catholic Church is actually a communion of Churches. According to the Constitution on the Church of the Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium, the Catholic Church is understood to be "a corporate body of Churches," united with the Pope of Rome, who serves as the guardian of unity (LG, no. 23). At present there are 22 Churches that comprise the Catholic Church. The new Code of Canon Law, promulgated by Pope John Paul II, uses the phrase "autonomous ritual Churches" to describe these various Churches (canon 112). Each Church has its own hierarchy, spirituality, and theological perspective. Because of the particularities of history, there is only one Western Catholic Church, while there are 21 Eastern Catholic Churches. The Western Church, known officially as the Latin Church, is the largest of the Catholic Churches. It is immediately subject to the Roman Pontiff as Patriarch of the West. The Eastern Catholic Churches are each led by a Patriarch, Major Archbishop, or Metropolitan, who governs their Church together with a synod of bishops. Through the Congregation for Oriental Churches, the Roman Pontiff works to assure the health and well-being of the Eastern Catholic Churches.

While this diversity within the one Catholic Church can appear confusing at first, it in no way compromises the Church's unity. In a certain sense, it is a reflection of the mystery of the Trinity. Just as God is three Persons, yet one God, so the Church is 22 Churches, yet one Church.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church summarizes this nicely:

"From the beginning, this one Church has been marked by a great diversity which comes from both the variety of God's gifts and the diversity of those who receive them... Holding a rightful place in the communion of the Church there are also particular Churches that retain their own traditions. The great richness of such diversity is not opposed to the Church's unity" (CCC no. 814).

Although there are 22 Churches, there are only eight "Rites" that are used among them. A Rite is a "liturgical, theological, spiritual and disciplinary patrimony," (Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, canon 28). "Rite" best refers to the liturgical and disciplinary traditions used in celebrating the sacraments. Many Eastern Catholic Churches use the same Rite, although they are distinct autonomous Churches. For example, the Ukrainian Catholic Church and the Melkite Catholic Church are distinct Churches with their own hierarchies. Yet they both use the Byzantine Rite.

To learn more about the "two lungs" of the Catholic Church, visit this link:

CATHOLIC RITES AND CHURCHES

The Vatican II Council declared that "all should realize it is of supreme importance to understand, venerate, preserve, and foster the exceedingly rich liturgical and spiritual heritage of the Eastern churches, in order faithfully to preserve the fullness of Christian tradition" (Unitatis Redintegrato, 15).

A Roman rite Catholic may attend any Eastern Catholic Liturgy and fulfill his or her obligations at any Eastern Catholic Parish. A Roman rite Catholic may join any Eastern Catholic Parish and receive any sacrament from an Eastern Catholic priest, since all belong to the Catholic Church as a whole. I am a Roman Catholic practicing my faith at a Maronite Catholic Church. Like the Chaldeans, the Maronites retain Aramaic for the Consecration. It is as close as one comes to being at the Last Supper.

Please freepmail me if you would like more information on the Eastern Catholic Churches.

2 posted on 01/18/2013 2:42:44 PM PST by NYer ("Before I formed you in the womb I knew you." --Jeremiah 1:5)
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To: NYer

God bless and protect him.


3 posted on 01/18/2013 2:57:28 PM PST by onyx (FREE REPUBLIC IS HERE TO STAY! DONATE MONTHLY! IF YOU WANT ON SARAH PALIN''S PING LIST, LET ME KNOW)
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To: NYer
According to the Blue Guide to Egypt, Asyut is the largest and most important city of Upper Egypt. The ancient Egyptian name of the place was Zawty. The Greek name was Lykopolis, and the Coptic name Siout. St. John of Lykopolis (d. 394) was a teacher of such repute that the Emperor Theodosius I sent one of the imperial eunuchs to consult with him.

One of the most important finds of ancient Greek coins was made here in 1969--the Asyut hoard of 873 coins, thought to have been buried about 475 B.C. It has many coins from mainland Greece but also some from the Greek cities in Sicily, apparently something rarely found in ancient Egypt. See Archaic Greek coinage: the Asyut Hoard by Martin Price and Nancy Waggoner (London, 1975).

4 posted on 01/18/2013 3:08:31 PM PST by Verginius Rufus
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To: NYer; vladimir998

***Pope Benedict XVI approved Bishop Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak as the new Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts in Egypt, granting him “ecclesiastical communion.’’***

Didn’t one of the resident Catholics here on FR recently declare the Copts to be a product of heretics?

Found it! Post #7

To: Citizen Tom Paine

“the Coptic Church is a 5th-6th century product of schism and heresy.”

7 posted on Saturday, December 29, 2012 7:10:55 PM by vladimir998

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2973256/posts


6 posted on 01/18/2013 6:08:26 PM PST by Ruy Dias de Bivar (Click my name! See new paintings!)
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To: NYer

Thank you for this post! Great info!! I am praying at times for our Egyptian Christians.


11 posted on 01/18/2013 9:16:20 PM PST by johngrace (I am a 1 John 4! Christian- declared at every Sunday Mass , Divine Mercy and Rosary prayers!)
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To: NYer


Bishop Ibrahim Isaac Sidrak

14 posted on 01/19/2013 6:56:51 AM PST by annalex (fear them not)
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